LECTURE NOTES

Rene Descartes

Formula of self
Cogito - doubt/thinking
Ergo - process
Sum - result

The true self is the one who doubts/thinks. who you are right now is
the byproduct of the true self.
⁃ true self is only accessible by thinking
⁃ Self resides sa mind
⁃ True self exists in the mind
⁃ The body is not the true self/inconsistent

John Locke
⁃ Reactions based on experience
⁃ Experiences + reaction = idea of who you are
⁃ senses define yourself
⁃ Unless you experience, you conclude

David Hume
⁃ there is no real self
⁃ self is just an impression
⁃ Self is inconsistent.
⁃ Concept is evolving
⁃ Self is a bundle of impressions/information

Immanuel Kant
⁃ priori of self
⁃ Predetermined traits.
⁃ Preordained concept of self. You just have to experience it.
⁃ Info using senses is interpreted by the rational mind.
⁃ Integrated both ideas.

Phenomenological approach - how people look at you. Conscious

about how people see you.
Buddhism - there is no self, but different kay Hume kay you shouldn’t
be attached to the concept of self. You’ll suffer the more you get
attached to a certain concept of self.

Freud believed that personality developed through a series of

childhood stages in which the pleasure-seeking energies of
the id become focused on certain erogenous areas. An erogenous zone
is characterized as an area of the body that is particularly sensitive to
stimulation.
During the five psychosexual stages, which are the oral, anal, phallic,
latent, and genital stages, the erogenous zone associated with each
stage serves as a source of pleasure. Early experiences play a large
role in personality development and continue to influence behavior
later in life.
Each stage of development is marked by conflicts that can help build
growth or stifle development, depending upon how they are resolved.
If these psychosexual stages are completed successfully, a healthy
personality is the result.
If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate
stage, fixations can occur. A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier
psychosexual stage. Until this conflict is resolved, the individual will
remain "stuck" in this stage. A person who is fixated at the oral stage,
for example, may be over-dependent on others and may seek oral
stimulation through smoking, drinking, or eating.
The Oral Stage
Age Range: Birth to 1 Year
Erogenous Zone: Mouth
During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction
occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is
especially important. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant
derives pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities
such as tasting and sucking.

Because the infant is entirely dependent upon caretakers (who are

responsible for feeding the child), the child also develops a sense of
trust and comfort through this oral stimulation.

The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process--the child

must become less dependent upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at
this stage, Freud believed the individual would have issues with
dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with
drinking, eating, smoking, or nail-biting.

The Anal Stage

Age Range: 1 to 3 years
Erogenous Zone: Bowel and Bladder Control
During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus of the
libido was on controlling bladder and bowel movements. The major
conflict at this stage is toilet training—the child has to learn to control
their bodily needs. Developing this control leads to a sense of
accomplishment and independence.

According to Freud, success at this stage is dependent upon the way

in which parents approach toilet training. Parents who utilize praise
and rewards for using the toilet at the appropriate time encourage
positive outcomes and help children feel capable and productive.

Freud believed that positive experiences during the toilet training

stage serve as the basis for people to become competent, productive,
and creative adults.
However, not all parents provide the support and encouragement that
children need during this stage. Some parents punish, ridicule, or
shame a child for accidents.

According to Freud, inappropriate parental responses can result in

negative outcomes. If parents take an approach that is too lenient,
Freud suggested that an anal-expulsive personality could develop in
which the individual has a messy, wasteful, or destructive personality.

If parents are too strict or begin toilet training too early, Freud
believed that an anal-retentive personality develops in which the
individual is stringent, orderly, rigid, and obsessive.

The Phallic Stage

Age Range: 3 to 6 Years
Erogenous Zone: Genitals
Freud suggested that during the phallic stage, the primary focus of
the libido is on the genitals. At this age, children also begin to
discover the differences between males and females.

Freud also believed that boys begin to view their fathers as a rival for
the mother’s affection. The Oedipus complex describes these
feelings of wanting to possess the mother and the desire to replace
the father.

The term Electra complex has been used to describe a similar set of
feelings experienced by young girls.

The Latent Period

Age Range: 6 to Puberty
Erogenous Zone: Sexual Feelings Are Inactive
During this stage, the superego continues to develop while the id's
energies are suppressed. Children develop social skills, values, and
relationships with peers and adults outside of the family.

The development of the ego and superego contributes to this period of

calm. The stage begins around the time that children enter school and
become more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies, and other
interests.

The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is

repressed or dormant. This energy is still present, but it is sublimated
into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social interactions.
This stage is important in the development of social and
communication skills and self-confidence.

As with the other psychosexual stages, Freud believed that it was

possible for children to become fixated or "stuck" in this phase.
Fixation at this stage can result in immaturity and an inability to form
fulfilling relationships as an adult.

The Genital Stage

Age Range: Puberty to Death
Erogenous Zone: Maturing Sexual Interests
The onset of puberty causes the libido to become active once again.
During the final stage of psychosexual development, the individual
develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. This stage
begins during puberty but last throughout the rest of a person's life.

Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on individual needs,

interest in the welfare of others grows during this stage. The goal of
this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas.
If the other stages have been completed successfully, the individual
should now be well-balanced, warm, and caring.
Unlike many of the earlier stages of development, Freud believed that
the ego and superego were fully formed and functioning at this point.
Younger children are ruled by the id, which demands immediate
satisfaction of the most basic needs and wants.

Teens in the genital stage of development are able to balance their

most basic urges against the need to conform to the demands of
reality and social norms.

Freud's Three Levels of the Mind

Freud delineated the mind in distinct levels, each with their own roles
and functions. The three levels of the mind are:
• The preconscious consists of anything that could potentially be
brought into the conscious mind.
• The conscious mind contains all of the thoughts, memories,
feelings, and wishes of which we are aware at any given moment. This
is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk
about rationally. This also includes our memory, which is not always
part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily and brought into
awareness.
• The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts,
urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. The
unconscious contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant,
such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict.

How the Unconscious Mind Affects Behavior

While the information in the unconscious mind is outside of
awareness, it continues to have an influence on a person's behavior.
Some of the ways the unconscious can affect behavior include:
• Negative thoughts
• Self-defeating thoughts and behaviors
• Feelings of anger
• Compulsive behaviors
• Childhood behavioral problems
• Difficulties in interpersonal relationships
• Distressing patterns in romantic relationships
• Attitudes about others
• Unhealthy habits
• Distressing dreams
• First impressions of other people
• Prejudice and stereotypes
•
The Freudian Slip
Another example of the unconscious mind can be seen in what are
known as slips of the tongue. Many of us have experienced what is
commonly referred to as a Freudian slip at some point or another.
These misstatements are believed to reveal underlying, unconscious
thoughts or feelings.